pasture ♪ ♪ and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort ♪ ♪ he shall convert my soul ♪ and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness ♪ ♪ for his name's sake ♪ for his name's sake ♪ for his name's sake

♪ yea though i walk thro the valley of the shadow of death ♪ ♪ i will fear no evil ♪ for thou art with me ♪ thy rod appeared t-- and thy staff comfort me ♪ ♪ thou shalt prepare a table for me against them that trouble

me ♪ ♪ thou ha system t anointed my he head with oil and my cup shall be full ♪ ♪ but thy loving kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ♪ ♪ and i will dwell in the house

of the lord forever ♪ ♪ this the house of the lord forever ♪ ♪ forever

a reading from the second letter of st. paul to the corinthians. so we are always confident, even though we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the lord for me walk by faith, not by sight. yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the lord. the word of the lord.

>> thanks be to god. ♪ ♪ ♪ o lord my god ♪ when i in awesome wonder

♪ consider all the works thy hand hath made ♪ ♪ i see the stars ♪ i hear the rolling thunder ♪ thy power throughout the universe displayed ♪ ♪ then sings my soul my savior god to thee ♪ ♪ how great thou art ♪ how great thou art ♪ then sings my soul my savior god to thee ♪ ♪ how great thou art ♪ how great thou art

♪ when through the woods and forest glaze glades i wander ♪ ♪ and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees ♪ ♪ when i look down from lofty mountain grandeur ♪ ♪ and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze ♪ ♪ then sings my soul my savior god to thee ♪ ♪ how great thou art ♪ how great thou art ♪ then sings my soul my savior

god to thee ♪ ♪ how great thou art ♪ how great thou art ♪ and when i think that god his son not sparing ♪ ♪ sent him to die i scarce can take it in ♪ ♪ that on the cross my burden gladly bearing ♪ ♪ he bled and died to take away my sin ♪ ♪ then sings my soul my savior god to thee ♪

♪ how great thou art ♪ how great thou art ♪ then sings my soul my savior god to thee ♪ ♪ how great thou art ♪ how great thou art ♪ when christ shall come with shout of acclamation ♪ ♪ and take me home what joy shall fill my heart ♪ ♪ then i shall bow in humble adoration ♪ ♪ and there proclaim my god how

great thou art ♪ ♪ then sings my south my savior god to thee ♪ ♪ how great thou art ♪ how great thou art ♪ then sings my soul ♪ my savior god to thee ♪ how great thou art ♪ how great thou art a readling from the gospel according to st. john, chapter

15, verses 12 through 13. jesus said, "this is my commandment that you love one another as i have loved you. no greater love than this to lay down one's life for one's friends." the word of the lord. >> thanks be to god.

let us remember john mccain with the words of the jesuit poet gerard manly hopkins -- what i do is me. for that i came. but i say more that just man justices, keeps grace that keeps all his goings graces. acts in god's eye, what in god's eye he is, christ, for christ plays in 10,000 places lovely in limbs, lovely in eyes, not his

to the father through the features of men's faces. don't misunderstand me. i am not recommending john f ii sainthood. he was so very human, and for that reason we can see god in his life. he was the just man justice iin. for john mccain, every human being deserved to be treated justly. he saw god our father through the features of every person, especially the poor and those persecuted by power and those in

need. john was a man who loved, and he knew that love is seen in actions, in doing. he was so often surrounded by the service men and women he had such a special affection for. we can hear him in spikhakespess words -- we shall be remembered. we few, we happy few, we band of brothers. love it truly shown in action, and god in his love has given us this warrior as a sign, who acted in god's eye what in god's

eye he was. though we are sad, we do celebrate the life of our friend, husband, father, senator and warrior, because he did keep grace, christ playing in 10,000 places. he gave us an example of how to live, how to be the just man. with st. paul, john can now say -- i have fought the good fight. i have finished the race. i have kept the faith. good-bye, john mccain.

♪ ♪

♪ oh danny boy the pipes the pipes are calling ♪ ♪ from glen to glen and down the mountainside ♪ ♪ the summer's gone and all the flowers are falling ♪ ♪ it's you it's you must go and i must bide ♪ ♪ but come ye back when summer's

in the meadow ♪ ♪ and all the valley's hushed and white with snow ♪ ♪ 'tis i'll be there in sunshine or in shadow ♪ ♪ oh danny boy oh danny boy i love you so ♪ ♪ and if you come when all the flowers are dying ♪

♪ and i am dead as dead i well may be ♪ ♪ please come and find the place where i am lying ♪ ♪ and kneel and say an qave" -- "ave" there for me ♪ ♪ and i shall hear tho soft you tread above me ♪ ♪ and all my dreams will warm and sweeter be ♪

♪ if you'll not fail to tell me that you love me ♪ then i shall sleep in peace until you come to me ♪ ♪ then i shall sleep in peace until you come to me ♪

assist geez taught us, so we now pray -- o we now pray - as jesus taught us, so we now pray -- ♪ our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come ♪ ♪ thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread ♪ as we forgive those who trespass against us ♪ ♪ and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil ♪ ♪ for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever amen ♪ for our brother john, let us pray to our lord jesus christ who said, "i am resurrection and i am life."

lord, you consoled martha and mary in their distress. draw near to us who mourn for john and dry the tears of those who weep. >> hear us, lord. you we want at the grave of lazarus, your friend. comfort us in or sorrow. >> hear us, lord. you raised the dead to life. give to our brother eternal life. >> hear us, lord. you promised paradise to the thief who repented. bring our brother to the joys of heaven. >> hear us, lord. comfort us in sorrows at the death of our brother. let our faith be our consolation and eternal life our hope.

farce of all, we prayed to you for john, and for all those whom we love, but see no longer. grant to them eternal rest. let light perpetual shine upon them. may his soul and all the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of god, rest in peace. amen. ♪ oh beautiful for spacious skies ♪ ♪ for amber waves of grain ♪

♪ for purple mountains' majesty above the fruited plain ♪ ♪ america america ♪ ♪ god shed his grace on thee ♪ ♪ and crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ from sea to shining sea ♪ ♪ o beautiful for heroes ooze who -- their

than country loved ♪ ♪ and mercy more than life ♪ america america ♪ god mend thine every flaw ♪ confirm think soul in self-control ♪ ♪ thy liberty in law ♪ ♪ ♪ o beautiful for patriot

dream ♪ ♪ that sees beyond the years ♪ thine alabaster cities gleam ♪ undimmed by human tears ♪ america ♪ america ♪ god shed his grace on thee ♪ and crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ from sea to shining sea

good rest, o christ, to your servant with your saints. >> where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life ever lasting. you only are immortal, the creator and maker of mankind, and we are mortgage at, formed of the earth, and to earth shall we return. for so did you ordain when you created me, saying "you are dust, and to dust you shall return." all of us go down to the dust, yet even at the grave we make our song alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. >> give rest, o christ, to your servant with your saints, where sorrow and pain are no more,

neither sighing but life ever lasting. into your hands, o merciful savior, we commend your servant john. acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own flock, a lamb of your own fold, a sinner of your own redeeming. receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. >> amen. and may the god of peace, who brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ, the good shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will.

in the days you have and in the lives to which you have been called. working as he works in you what is pleasing in his sight. and the blessing of god almighty, the father, the son, and the holy spirit, be with you, and remain with you now and always. >> amen. let es go forth in the name of christ. thanks be to god.

forward. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ we're looking right now of

lindsey graham and kelly ayotte, two amigos, on the road often with john mccain. also we saw nancy kissinger there, senator dole. there she is, bob dole's wife. linda bird johnson there. it's been quite an event. let me go to john meacham. that service was a long one, the speeches went to 80 minutes, not counting the sermon. >> it was. it was a full panoply of both anglican ritual and political reminiscens, and really remarkable tribute. the context is that a great man has fallen and the country he's

leaving is not all he would wish it to be at the moment, and i think that senator mccain very carefully designed the previous 2 1/2 hours or so as a kind of last testament to the country, that this is who we can be if we heed our better angels, he said in the rotunda last night on the stand on which abraham link lincoln. the hymns were sung at gerald ford's john kennedy's funerals among others. it's a reminder that the past is slipping away, but the hope really, that the past is in fact

prol prologe. >> is it maybe the tragedy is that he was a man of world war ii, that we've lost the sensibility -- >> world war ii sensible, the john mccain sensible, the ideas of duty, honor and country are in vanishingly short supply right now. there is a tragic element to that, but john mccain was a romantic as well. he emerged from a generation embodying the virtues, and i think hoped against hope that we would recover them and restore them. >> let's take a listen. let's just watch this departure of the casket being carried away, and the ceremony attached to this.

hallie jackson is right near the hearse. tell us about the crowd there. >> reporter: quiet and solemn. we just watch the family members get into the motorcade, the procession about to begin. senator mccain will be buried at the naval academy in annapolis tomorrow, a place he loved dearly, alongside one of his befriends, chuck larsen, who is buried there. as the hearse departs.

watching former presidents, john mccain's family members, some of the his closest friends pay tribute. you can see the cars following the hearse, appeared just to give you a sense there's about 2500 people in the cathedral, hundreds of media members, people reporting on this powerful and emotional ceremony. outside i've heard some of my colleagues talk about how folks walking by have stopped and watched howard of this lined up by the satellite trucks of people who just were not able to get in, who wanted to watch some of it or be close owned be present. it's reminiscent of what we saw with hundreds for at t s -- line vietnam it memorial applauding

cindy mccain there laying a wreath. you saw in each of these speaker s giving their perspective on a different part of john mccain's life and legacy. from his role in foreign policy, from his sense of humor, for example, from former senator joe lieberman, to his dedication to his country, his service, his name, as you heard from barack obama, from george w. bush, and of course from meghan mccain. an 18-minute speech packed with grief, packed with love, mccain at points nearly physically overcome, gritting back tears, talking about her father and talking about his legacy. we would be remiss to not note the flashes of rage that she seemed to have. you can see everybody coming down the steps of the national cathedral. we noeled some of the

pallbearers near the casket, including former vice president joe biden. roberta mccain was at the top of the steps. joe, her only son left, is standing behind her that he put his hand over his heart when they closed the hearse if the door. and senator flake now watching out cathedral with his wife. and you can see other folks beginning to walk out as well. i got to say, chris, everybody at this ceremony, service, people close to john mccain wanted this to be about mccain himself, making sure they talked about what he gave to his country, as you see, former secretary of state john kerry walking out. what an image of three former presidents who had all come to pay respects to someone who served their country. and there was a conspicuous

absence, the current president. at the time of this ceremony, as the services were going o. the president arrived at his golf club in virginia. that is his location. his daughter ivanka trump, and jared kushner were here as several members of his administration. while the president's name was never mentioned here, it was part of the subtext of some of these speeches, particularly when came do meghan mccain, who without ever mentioning the name of the current president, sharply rebuked him in an incredibly emotion at eulogy for her father. she also talked about the love she had for him, and the love he had for his family. there's a line that i think will be one that's repeated for a while. we all have known that senator mccain has been sick. he obviously went last summer and had that surgery that revealed this brain cancer, and meghan mccain said she asked him, what a hard thing to do, right, have a conversation with their parent about their death and what -- she said what do you want me to do with this eulogy?

and senator mccain said to his daughter, show them how tough you are. that toughness has been a theme, not just of meghan mccain's speech, but john mccain's life. you've heard it again and again. there was "danny boy" a haunting moment, and cindy mccain clearly overwhelmed by the end of this service. this was the last big service. tomorrow interrment is closed, and as i turn around in my chair, it is just a sea of people in washington, the highest profile people who have come here to make sure they've been able to say good-bye in the way they wanted to to senator mccain. as i'm talking with you, but this was -- this was an important day at the washington national cathedral, and an important moment, i think, for a lot of folks.

john mccain's death has struck people in a really hard way, i think, in washington. part of this is this moment in politics that we are in, chris. >> yes, it is. we saw our colleague tom brokaw there, we saw charlie rose, jay leno, quite a pan oy reply of people. let's listen a bit the unforgettable words of meghan mccain. >> we gather here to mourn the pass of of american greatness, the real thing, not cheap rhetoric from men who will never come near the sacrifice he gave so willingly, nor the opportunistic proposuation of those who live lives of comfort and privilege while he suffered and served. the america of john mccain is a generous, welcoming and bold. she is resourceful, confident and secure. she meets her responsibilities. she speaks quietly because she is strong.

america does not boast, because she has no need to. the america of john mccain has no need to be made great again, because america was always great. well, let's go to john weaver who worked so much through the difficult wars, political wars with john mccain. i heard there the anthem of john mccain through his daughter. john? >> yes, well, we just saw a celebration of family, faith, and freedom, but we also saw a rallying cry for the nation. the last thing john mccain said to me was i love you, johnny, but i also said through that statement from meghan mccain through the country it does not have to be this way. we are greater than this, we are better than this. and i am touched by what president obama said, and i think people in the country need to hear this again. what are you going to do today? what are we going to do in our family, in our communities, in our neighborhoods? what are we going to do to stop

the division of hate caused by the current dark period. it was indeed a rallying cry, a very strong moment, and i hope it resonates around the country. >> let me go to steve on this. when you hear the man in the arena speech referred to from the speech by teddy roosevelt, people like me go i wish i was gutsy enough to be in the arena again, and you were in the arena helping john mccain. i wonder what the commentary class should be doing if they're reflecting on what happened here in the last two hours. >> well, i was struck listening to john, the last words i had with john mccain were i love you, boy, is what he said to me earlier this summer, and love was a big part of his life, and watching meghan mccain, i am thinking about teddy roosevelt jr., the son of the president who was a hero to john mccain.

when he was a young man, teddy roosevelt jr. said he would never have his own name because he had such a famous father. and i think we saw in meghan mccain today, we look at this family and its great contributions to the country is that she will be an author of a next chapter of greatness in the mccain family's name and in the life of our country as she so eloquently put the focus on the vital virtues that are necessary to sustain a democratic republic like the united states. and that's the point here today. that the things that john mccain's life was about, the things that he stood for, those essential virtues, valor, courage, the heroism, kindness, love, decency, all of it, are necessary in a country like ours for it to succeed, and all those

virtues are in regression and are under attack in this moment in time, so what we saw today from two former presidents, a republican and a democrat who were fierce rivals of each other was a rebuke to this vile and low moment in the history of this country, and make no mistake about it, the rebukes were intentional, they were purposeful, and they were designed by john mccain himself to in this hour of his death to instigate one last political fight. he was often quoted as saying a fight not joined is a fight not joined. and i think he would love the spectacle of the fight he instigated because when i was talking earlier about the spirit of defiance that so defines him

was present in him, it defies the meanness and cruelty in public life. he hated bullies. you saw that reflected in this service today. so the country is upon a moment of choice about what path, what direction we're going to go on, and one of the themes in the service today was about reconciliation and about love. and we will come upon a moment soon in this country we will need to reconcile with each other to move forward past this dark chapter. >> thank you so much, steve sh myth and thank you, john weaver. that concludes our coverage of the memorial service for john mccain at the washington national cathedral. leave you with a final thought from the senator himself who gets the last word. coverage begins after this break with joy reed. thank you for joining us.

>> i prefer to give thanks for those blessings and my love to the people who bless me with theirs. the bell tolls for me. i knew it would. so i tried as best i could to stay a part of the main. i hope those who mourn my passing and even those who don't will celebrate as i celebrate a happy life lived in imperfect service to a country made of ideals whose continued success is the hope of the world. and i wish all of you great adventurers good company and lives as lucky as mine. the day after chemo shouldn't mean going back to

the doctor just for a shot. with neulasta onpro patients get their day back... to be with family, or just to sleep in. strong chemo can put you at risk of serious infection. in a key study neulasta reduced the risk of infection from 17% to 1%, a 94% decrease. neulasta onpro is designed to deliver neulasta the day after chemo and is used by most patients today. neulasta is for certain cancer patients receiving strong chemotherapy. do not take neulasta if you're allergic to it or neupogen (filgrastim).

an incomplete dose could increase infection risk. ruptured spleen, sometimes fatal as well as serious lung problems, allergic reactions, kidney injuries and capillary leak syndrome have occurred. report abdominal or shoulder tip pain, trouble breathing or allergic reactions to your doctor right away. in patients with sickle cell disorders, serious, sometimes fatal crises can occur. the most common side effect is bone and muscle ache. ask your doctor about neulasta onpro. pay no more than $5 per dose with copay card.

ask your doctor about neulasta onpro. this is moving day with the best in-home wifi experience and millions of wifi hotspots to help you stay connected. and this is moving day with reliable service appointments in a two-hour window so you're up and running in no time. show me decorating shows. this is staying connected with xfinity to make moving... simple. easy. awesome. stay connected while you move with the best wifi experience and two-hour appointment windows. click, call or visit a store today. john understood as jfk understood, as ronald reagan understood that part of what makes our country great is that our membership is based not on our blood line, not on what we look like, what our last names are, not based on where our parents or grandparents came

from or how recently they arrived, but on adherence to a common creed that all of us are created equal. >> good morning. welcome to a special edition of "am joy." moments ago we saw the conclusion of the last and grandest of several memorial services held this week that i think can authentically be described as fit for a president. those events honoring the life and marking the passing of war hero, long time arizona senator john mccain. world leaders, lawmakers, close friends and family paid tribute at washington national cathedral. among those that eulogized the senator were two men that stood between mccain and the nation's highest office. former presidents barack obama and george w. bush, whose presence was requested by mccain himself before he died. also notable was a man not there, also at mccain's request, the current president of the

united states, donald trump. the final rebuke from mccain who orchestrated his exit from this life with precision, with a series of pointed messages calling on the nation he served for his entire adult life to reject the divisiveness, nativism, false populism of the current pop lant of the white house. joining kn joining me, steve schmidt and chris matthews. thank you for joining me. watching the funeral, steve, felt like more than the passing of a man or senator but passing of an archetype. presidents of parties welcomed to the national cathedral to eulogize a senator who would invite them, who wanted presidents on both sides, that political archetype feels like it passed away. >> it did.

there will never be another political leader quite like john mccain. but the things that he stood for, the virtues that he represented, his valor, his love, his kindness, his service, his ability to forgive. he was famous for his temper in feuds but also for his reconciliations. this is a man who was tortured for years in the most cruel and inhumane way who was the person, the ar the architect of the reconciliation between the united states and vietnam, revered a hero in vietnam because of the reconciliation, people of our countries, these generations might exist together in peace. it is an extraordinary life that's come to an end, and he has laid out for us a fundamental choice that everybody should reflect on, and

there was an inherent political meaning in this funeral, and it was a fundamental rebuke to the vileness, the corruption, the self centeredness, the selfishness, the cruelty that we see emanate from the oval office in the form of president donald j. trump every day, and what the country has is a choice. sometimes when we talk about politics and moments like this, we think that the discussion of politics itself is somehow not appropriate to the moment. this was a man in the arena. this was a man in the fight. he believed things and he gave great sacrifice and service of those things that he believed. and the choice that the country faces in a couple of months about whether to repute ate trumpism or validate it is an

essential one. you saw today the argument being made for its repute ee agency from george w. bush, from barack obama, and from meghan mccain. the things john mccain believed in are worth defending, worth debating and worth fighting for. >> chris, i feel like the presidency itself has gone through all these archetypal forms. you had eisenhower, teddy roosevelt, that americans look to that type of man to be president. they looked at that type of man. there's the somebody inspiring type, like barack obama, the person more relatable, bill clinton. we are in this era where i feel we are almost unmoored. there's no archetype has gone

away, and i don't know if you feel that way, if you feel unmoored in a way this morning. >> we were pretty well moored in the beginning. george washington walked away from it after two terms after being commander in chief, where george iii said he would leave to go back to his farm, he will be the greatest man in the world. you know what i thought watching this for two hours, thought of perhaps the black church that you know so well, churches that operated underground like in eastern europe, went to one in eastern europe, eastern germany before the wall came down, it is a religious service that has a political message as well, a statement of resistance, of defiance. except for when meghan mccain just burst out with it and said what she felt about the whole day and the whole thing going on in our country politically that the rest of it was a submerged

defiance in a religious form of a political statement. every moment of today was a statement by john mccain. he wanted us to know what he thought about our republic right now, and i do feel, i think you said this a moment ago, a bit an akron is particular is a tragedy, mischievious, able to say what he wants to say in a profile of courage. he is not artificial intelligence like so many politicians are today predictably coded for certain responses emotionally. i sometimes think they're programmed without any responsibili spontaneousness. i was against all kinds of attitude of human life behind him, it was real, he was real.

i think today was sort of a reminder where we have been in the past, the greatest generation that tom brokaw wrote about, not so much recently, it is hard to find another john mccain in the senate for example right now, man or woman, democrat or republican, progressive or right wing. i don't see a lot of evidence of profiles in courage right now all around. your thoughts. >> i agree. i think that it seems in a lot of ways that john mccain stood for one of the many principles of politics, president obama and his you'eulogy talked about howy could come around with things they could agree on. we were on opposite sides of the political campaign but there are fundamental beliefs all americans believe in. that sense is also passing away. maybe the biggest tragedy of not having a senator of that

grandeur still around to sort of help us navigate this era is that no one is making that argument any more, that politics is just politics, but there are fundamentals. all the people that eulogized john mccain made that case. you made that case, chris matthews made that case. that case is not being made in politics. >> barack obama made a powerful point when the president stood up there and talked about the most perfect idea ever put to paper by the mind of man or woman, this idea that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with inalienable rights, among them life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. the most powerful idea in human history is the idea of the united states of america. an imperfect nation that's never quite lived up to its founding ideals, imperfect inch t-- in much the same way john mccain was imperfect, but he loved this

country and that ideal and served his entire life in service to that ideal, to the idea of america, and the idea of america that was so beautifully, eloquently laid out by two former presidents and by many speakers and by many people over this week is what john mccain committed his life to. now, the virtues, love, heroism, valor, they exist everywhere in this country right now. there are acts of kindness and love and service being made by ordinary americans, but those virtues are absent generally in our political class in service in washington, d.c. right now. in this country, this government of the people, by the people, for the people will have to make a choice about wla type of country we want to live in. do we want to live in a country

of division, hatred, anger, racism or are we able to rise above it. dr. king talked about the fact that the moral arch of the universe is long but bends towards justice, and when we think about this season of meanness cruelty from the political leadership to the president of the united states, we will move past this. when we put this sorry chapter behind us, we will need to have in this country a season of reconciliation. and john mccain's life is a signal to us about how you do that. >> i mean the question for a lot of people is who will lead that because you saw in front of us today leaders that are no longer in office, no longer with the bully pulpit to do it except on occasion like this, so it feels like there isn't a presence. john mccain was that guy. who does that now?

>> when abraham lincoln was elected, that fact voiwas lamen by sherman. we elected a backwoods, bar bearian, uneducated, the country is doomed, he has no confidence for the task. when lincoln was assassinated, general sherman had seem him with general grant a week before, was asked to reflect on his life, the man he had come to know. he said he met all the great men of the world, industrialists, kings, emperors and generals, but never met a man that possessed more of the qualities of greatness and goodness than abraham lincoln. what's always been true about the country, almost providentially so, the right leaders have emerged at the right time. dwight eisenhower was a colonel in the army hadn't been promoted in 13 years in 1940. when we look at this country, amongst us are good and decent

people, and there are people who have the qualities of character that john mccain exhibited in his life. who will rise amongst us to lead us together to a better place. i can't tell you the answer. but i am confident about this. anybody who despairs about the future of this country should know and think about this for a minute. a country that can produce a man like john mccain is going to be okay. >> that's a very hopeful note. chris matthews, i think about john mccain put forward his ideals in pointed fashion in the way he designed the last several days. i think about the service in arizona where he had the arizona cardinal, african-american player that's a point of contention with the current occupant of the white house. latino democrat, joe biden, he made sure his values were clear and clarified for anyone with

question, a dissident poisoned twice by the current kremlin leadership, these were pointed answers, his own diverse family. when you look at the front row, extraordinary front row in the national cathedral of former presidents, of the first ladies, even the former vice president. it begs the question and begs you to comment on the fact one person that wasn't there, the person who was not in that array, not welcome on the front row, is the current president of the united states. that cannot be missed. >> well, you know, for a lighter note, the great entertainer bob hope when he was getting near the end, he asked his kids said where would you like to be buried, dad. and he answered surprise me. john mccain didn't surprise us. he gave us a map for these days to follow, he picked out the

personnel to make the points he wanted to make. he brought in people that were there during the time he suffered, warren beatty, gary hart that ran a campaign, he wanted them alongside henry kissinger and other hawks, he wanted them all together. he wanted to make that statement about america and our system of debate, republican form of government, people voting their hearts was more important than the divisions within us. and i think he wanted to say that has to be brought back. i think it was a revival. it may have been episcopalian service, but it had a revival aspect to it. we must bring back the spirit. i thought meghan, his daughter, delivered that fully. >> absolutely. chris, you're there in washington. do you believe, do you have hope that the senators particularly in that church, in that sanctuary got that message and

will carry it forward? >> i think they're probably embarrassed, petrified of their base. four out of five republicans that will go down the line for this president have almost superimposed themselves between the senate and the united states government. they're afraid to govern. they believe what's going on in every poll has to be the governing force of the country, they're all petrified of being defeated in the next primary. it is a fact. it is a fact. every tuesday we see this. the next chance for the president of the united states to dictate the victor, it is powerful stuff. you're asking people to put their careers on the line. we'll see if they do. i think there's a lot of people rooting for the old republican party now. i find it ironic. a lot of progressives would like a two party system where both sides made sense. >> it was quoted, president obama quoted hemingway, favorite

quote meghan mccain quoted, today is the only day in all the days that lfr be, what will happen in the other days to come can depend on what you do today. the question what are you willing to do today. steve, chris, it begs the question whether or not senators hearing the words would rather follow the spirit of the masses of the party or follow john mccain. a choice put before them by mccain himself and by his family. the question is whether or not they listen to that. >> duty, honor, country. those words have meaning. that's what his code was. that's what he lived his life by. and the choice before us is a real one. the path that the country is on, the regression of democracy around the world, the assault constantly by this president against objective truth, fact.

our institutions. that john mccain his entire life to stret enngthen for the next generation of americans. he had a belief we're all connected through history, through the generations. he said many times that all the honors, all the titles, everything he was addressed as in his life, that there was no greater connection he felt than that of my fellow americans. we have a choice. there are many people in that audience today nodding, reflecting on his life who are on the opposite side of the issues that he dedicated his life to. he would not shy away from this moment in american life because a big fight is upon us. we have a fundamental choice. i think that he would believe

that this next midterm election is probably the most important in all the history of the country. he had a great sense of the country's history. he was as well read a person as yult ever meet, not just -- as you'll ever meet, not just nonfiction, but literature. he understood contextually this moment in time, and virtues that define a nation are being tested, they're up for vote now. are we a mean people or are we a good people. are we a cruel people or are we a decent people. are we a vile people or are we a moral people. i think there are more people who subscribe to the virtues and honor that john mccain lived his life by than those people on the other side. but make no mistake, there are people on the other side of the issues and virtues that define this man's life. >> chris, i'm going to give you

the last word in this segment. you two are the gentlemen i wanted to spoke to most about this moment in our history. chris, i am going to give you the last word on what this day means and what its resonance is after today. >> well, i am older than the rest of you, spent my life covering politics because of romance. i look up to it. i love the debate. i love the united states senate, the heroes that stand out that risk everything, profiles in courage. i look to them as heroes, barack obama among them. today he proved again his greatness. i want more of that, and to be part of this today was a personal honor. i looked forward to this since i got this assignment this morning. i covered things like opening of the brandenburg gate, first election in south africa where everyone can vote, funeral of john paul ii. this is up there with that. this is one of those moments i think we're going to remember beyond the loss of john mccain is the memory of john mccain.

and i think as i said it's honorable to be here now with you. i feel like i am sharing that honor personally. people like hallie jackson, kasie hunt and the rest of us, all of us on today from nbc and msnbc. i think we all feel about this moment very much the same. and you too, joy. >> indeed. cheers my friend. thank you very much. chris matthews. steve schmidt, thank you so much. honor to sit here with you through this. thank you. more of our special coverage of john mccain's funeral. be right back. special coverage of john mccain's funeral be right back.

the smoother the skin, the more comfortable you are in it. and now there's a new way to smooth. introducing new venus platinum. a premium metal handle boosts control... to reveal up to 100% smooth skin. venus

♪ ♪ welcome back to special coverage. moments ago, hundreds gathered to celebrate the late senator's life and legacy during an emotional service at washington national cathedral. former presidents barack obama and george w. bush eulogized mccain at his request. here is president obama's speech in its entirety. >> to john's beloved family, mrs. mccain, to cindy and the mccain children, president and mrs. bush, president and secretary clinton, vice president and mrs. biden, vice president and mrs. cheney, vice president gore, and as john would say my friends.

we come to celebrate an extraordinary man. a warrior, a statesman, a patriot who embodied so much that is best in america. president bush and i are among the fortunate few who competed against john at the highest levels of politics. he made us better presidents just as he made the senate better, just as he makes this country better. for someone like john to ask you while he is still alive to stand and speak of him when he is gone is a precious and singular honor. now, when john called me with

that request earlier this year, i'll admit sadness and also a certain surprise. after our conversation ended, i realized how well it captured some of john's essential qualities. to start with, john liked being unpredictable. even a little contrarian. he had no interest in conforming to some prepackaged version of what a senator should be and he didn't want a memorial that was going to be prepackaged either. it also showed john's disdain for self pity. he had been to hell and back and yet somehow never lost his energy or his optimism or his zest for life.

so cancer did not scare him. and he would maintain that buoyant spirit to the very end, too stubborn to sit still, opinionated as ever, fiercely devoted to his friends and most of all to his family. it showed his irreverence, his sense of humor, a little bit of a mischievious streak. what better way to get a last laugh than make george and i say nice things about him to a national audience. [ laughter ] and most of all it showed a largeness of spirit. an ability to see past differences in search of common ground. and in fact on the surface, john

and i could not have been more different. we're of different generations. i came from a broken home and never knew my father. john was the stein of one of america's most distinguished military families. i have a reputation for keeping cool. john not so much. we were standard bearers of different american political traditions and throughout my presidency john never hesitated to tell me when he thought i was screwing up, which by his calculation was about once a day. but for all our differences, for all of the times we sparred, i never tried to hide, and i think john came to understand the

long-standing admiration that i had for him. by his own account john was a rebellious young man. in his case, that's understandable, what faster way to distinguish yourself when you're the son and grandson of admirals than to mutiny. eventually, though, he concluded that the only way to really make his mark on the world is to commit to something bigger than yourself. for john, that meant answering the highest of callings, serving his country in a time of war. others this week and this morning have spoken to the depths of his torment and the depths of his courage there in the cells of hanoi when day

after day, year after year that youthful iron was tempered into steel. and it brings to mind something that hemingway wrote, a book that meghan referred to, his favorite book, today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. but what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today. in captivity john learned in ways that few of us ever will the meaning of those words, how each moment, each day, each choice is a test.

and john mccain passed that test again and again and again. and that's why when john spoke of virtues like service and duty, it didn't ring hollow. they weren't just words to him, it was a truth that he had lived and for which he was prepared to die. and it forced even the most cynical to consider what were we doing for our country? what might we risk everything for? much has been said this week about what a maverick john was. in fact, john was a pretty conservative guy. trust me. i was on the receiving end of some of those votes.

but he did understand that some principles transcend politics. some values transcend party. he considered it part of his duty to uphold those principles and uphold those values. john cared about the institutions of self government, our constitution, our bill of rights, rule of law. separation of powers. even the arcane rules and procedures of the senate. he knew that in a nation as big and boisterous and diverse as ours, those institutions, those rules, those norms are what bind us together. give shape and order to our common life. even when we disagree.

especially when we disagree. john believed in honest argument and hearing our views. he understood that if we get in the habit of bending the truth to suit political expediency or party orthodoxy, our democracy will not work. that's why he was willing to buck his own party at times. occasionally work across the aisle on campaign finance reform and immigration reform. that's why he championed a free and independent press as vital to our democratic debate. and the fact it earned him good coverage didn't hurt either. john understood as jfk understood, as ronald reagan

understood that part of what makes our country great is that our membership is based not on our blood line, not on what we look like, what our last names are, not based on where our parents or grandparents came from or how recently they arrived, but on adherence to a common creed that all of us are created equal. endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. it has been mentioned today, we've seen food -- footage this week john pushing back against supporters that challenged my patriotism during the 2008 campaign. i was grateful but i wasn't

surprised. as joe lieberman said, that was john's instinct. i never saw john treat anyone differently because of their race or religion or gender. and i'm certain that in those moments that have been referred to during the campaign he saw himself as defending america's character. not just mine. he considered it the imperative of every citizen that loves this country to treat all people fairly. and finally while john and i disagreed on all kinds of foreign policy issues, we stood together on america's role as the one nation, believing that with great power and great blessings comes great responsibility.

that burden is borne most heavily by our men and women in uniform. service members like doug, jimmy, jack who followed their father's footsteps, as well as families that serve alongside our troops. but john understood that our security and our influence was won not just by our military might, not just by our wealth, not just by our ability to bend others to our will, but from our capacity to inspire others with our adherence to a set of universal values. like rule of law and human rights. and insistence on god given

dignity of every human being. of course john was the first to tell us he was not perfect, like all of us that go into public service, he did have an ego. like all of us there was no doubt some votes he cast, some compromises he struck, some decisions he made that he wished he could have back. it is no secret, it has been mentioned that he had a temper, and when it flared up, it was a force of nature, a wonder to behold. his jaw grinding, his face reddening, his eyes boring a hole right through you. not that i ever experienced it firsthand, mind you. but to know john was to know

that as quick as his passions might flare, he was just as quick to forgive and ask for forgiveness. he knew more than most his own flaws, his blind spots, and he knew how to laugh at himself. and that self awareness made him all the more compelling. we didn't advertise it, but every so often over the course of my presidency john would come over to the white house and we'd just sit and talk in the oval office, just the two of us. we would talk about policy and we'd talk about family and we'd talk about the state of our politics. and our disagreements didn't go away during these private conversations. those were real and they were

often deep. but we enjoyed the time we shared away from the bright lights. and we laughed with each other. and we learned from each other. and we never doubted the other man's sincerity or the other man's patriotism. or that when all was said and done, we were on the same team. we never doubted we were on the same team. for all of our differences, we shared a fidelity to the ideals for which generations of americans have marched and fought and sacrificed and given their lives. we considered our political battles a privilege, an opportunity to serve as stewards

of those ideals here at home and do our best to advance them around the world. we saw this country as a place where anything is possible. and citizenship as an obligation to ensure it forever remains that way. more than once during his career john drew comparisons to teddy roosevelt. i am sure it has been noted that roosevelt's men in the arena seems tailored to john. most of you know it. roosevelt speaks of those who strive, who dare to do great things, who sometimes win and sometimes come up short but always relish a good fight. a contrast to those cold, timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

isn't that the spirit we celebrate this week? that striving to be better, to do better, to be worthy of the great inheritance that our founders bestowed. so much of our politics, our public life, our public discourse can seem small and mean and petty. trafficking in bombast and insult, manufactured outrage, it's a politics that pretends to be brave and tough, but in fact

is borne of fear. john called on us to be bigger than that. he called on us to be better than that. today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. but what will happen in all the other days that will ever come can depend on what you do today. what better way to honor john mccain's life of service than as best we can follow his example to prove that the willingness to get in the arena and fight for this country is not reserved for the few, it is open to all of us, and in fact it is demanded of all of us as citizens of this

great republic. that's perhaps how we honor him best, by recognizing that there are some things bigger than party or ambition or money or fame or power, that there are some things that are worth risking everything for. principles that are eternal. truths that are abiding. at his best, john showed us what that means. for that, we are all deeply in his debt. may god bless john mccain. may god bless this country he served so well. >> joining me, malcolm nance, kareem john pierre, allison door, jason johnson, and jill

winebanks, former watergate prosecutor. thank you all for being here. john mccain planned the last several days of his memorial to the letter, and very specifically with a lot of messages in mind. he had to know that the message he was sending by asking that gentleman, the former president of the united states, barack obama, to speak for him at his funeral was sending a resounding, very sharp message to the current president of the united states who he pointedly did not invite. your thoughts? >> well, the message today was american values over party politics. this funeral i think was as much about john mccain as it was about the future of america and what we want to be as a country. when i think about the speakers, meghan mccain talked about the fact america has always been great, that her father told her nothing will break you. then you go to joe lieberman that said that john mccain nurtured american values, that

was one of the things that stuck with him, and then saying fight for your country. this is a day people are thinking we're democrats, republicans, but we're really americans. what that means is we have to respect each other, we have to be decent, think about what the best thing is for generations to come. i think over and over again you heard that, and that was by design. john mccain planning every detail of this funeral, knew everybody would be watching it, it would be overshadowing anything that happened today. president trump is playing golf, tweeting about nafta and russia. no one is listening to that. everyone is entlalhralled with thought that after john mccain dies, who is filling that void. >> not paying any attention to him. has to be hurtful to the president. he is not getting attention. i had steve schmidt that fought on the other side of the 2008 from you and me working the obama campaign. watching president obama speak, a lot of people in my time line,

on my text messages were feeling wistful. it feels like an this man that could speak to it in such eloquent fashion, did it on behalf of the man he vanquished for the presidency. he was a war hero of the precise type americans used to elect. the eisenhower archetype. he invited both presidents to speak at his funeral. your thoughts watching barack obama, who made everyone wistful for a president that could speak about us as a country and the passing of a kind of senator we don't have any more in john mccain. >> yeah, joy, there were no empty gestures at all in the last couple of days, and certainly today by john mccain as you mention. he planned every inch of his

funeral once he was diagnosed with brain cancer, and john mccain got exactly what he wanted, a total, complete rejection of trump and trumpism that was broadcast live on national television for all to see. what we saw today was former presidents, you mention obama and george w. bush speaking today, obama speaking eloquently, you saw senator leadership, all of washington, d.c. essentially coming together to reject donald trump. i think anyone would find it hard pressed to see a more public, more ceremonial rebuke of a sitting president. i have never seen anything like this. it was incredibly powerful what we saw today. >> done by your fellow navy man, malcolm nance. just a lit of pallbearers, joe biden, former vice president,

pointedly included, choice of a russian dissident as a final dig as putin and trump. and he was an avowed enemy of putinism to the end. that inclusion of vladimir, what did you make of that as pallbearer? >> in the homily made to john mccain, he reject all forms of totalitarianism. while fighting for a communist country that tortured him horribly. it should be noted that the government of vietnam came out with their own condolences this week, well ahead of donald trump's in order to express their regret for the man that normalized relations between the united states and vietnam, including one of his former torturers. it was very pointed.

by inviting an anti-putin dissident to be one of his pallbearers, one of the last people that will carry his body on earth, he is making it clear his belief that america is a shining beacon that stands above all others in the celebration of democracy and liberty, and he is making it very clear that he is aware of the dark time that we're in. that phrase was used at least twice today. and that he believes america itself is going through a catharsis, and now knowing his death was coming, perhaps this could be a moment where the presidential level funeral could bring us together and try to start the healing, but i don't know if it will work. it breaks my heart to even think about it. >> by the way, the president of ukraine was in attendance as well as the mayor of kiev,

former prime minister of ukraine. a lot of pointed invitations were included in this funeral. jason johnson, the other thing is john mccain live the future united states in a very personal way. not only their daughter that john and cindy mccain's daughter they adopt from bangladesh and the daughter that his john jack married, he lived this code of valor and honoring in honoring his father and grandfather's legacy in the navy. he lived a kind of american story that was akronistic in -- acronistic and vital what america is becoming. >> when i look at this funeral, it's very emotional. i have to say this up fronts. i know lots of people have

feelings about john mccain the policy person. i want to speak about john mccain, the individual, the father. this was a man who was a father. this is a man who i spoke to people that had to work with you in the senate. he asked you about your kids. he was a kind, friendly and loving person. he is sort of this bridge into the pass today. if you look at it, his old picture, he looked like an abercrombie and fitch model in the military. he looked like a captain kirk. a couple years before i was born, that was my birthday, i always thought it was interesting. he has sort of be it into the fabric of america. i think that's important. just like we saw some of the greatest veteran generation pass. as we see people who dedicated their lives to service pass away, it's important for us to remember they represent something good, too. not everything in the past was bad. not everything has to be rejected and repudiated.

while he made mistakes in his life, some he wouldn't change his mind about, he did contain a dedication to service. not to get rich. not to get famous. not to make money, a dedication to service even if he disagreed how they performed that service. that's what i got. i believe his family at one point was attacked in the 2000 primary by george bush and the daughter he has i think representative of a man who could even in his personal life change as america changed and him. >> absolutely, speaking of george h.w. bush, people forget how nasty that primaries was, the accusations of the black daughter nasties on that side. let me let you listen to george w. bush, eulogizeing john mccain, his former rival. >> he was courageous with a courage that frightened his captors and inspired his

countrymen. he was honest. no matter whom it offended. presidents were not spared. at various points layout his long career, john confronted policies and practices he believed were unworthy of his country. to the face of those in authority, john mccain would insist, we are better than this. america is better than this. john is the first to tell you, he was not a perfect man. he dedicated his life to national ideals that are as perfect as men and women have yet conceived. >> misha, it is interesting, those on the other side, including everything, including the war in iraq. even his presence represents something that seems bygone, the ability to look back with some sort of wistfulness to a leader and ask the president, to embody the office despite the fact he had dips with them. >> that seems to have passed away with this era that john

mccain represented. >> really, it's an era of decency with the president if you agree with him as someone who can speak eloquently and layout what the president and the american people think as shared values. this idea even if you disagree with someone. if they're a democrat and a rub. if are you a man and they're a woman. there are things can you share and actually have in common. you don't have to fight tooth and name, when you have disagreements, you talk about people's flaws. they don't have to be cheap shots, nicknames, yelling at people. this can be what i didn't agree about, overall this is a good person. what we are seeing now is essentially a president that is doing that. >> and jill winebanks, we have been at this stage in american history money times before, incredible device, it's a president at times leading that device, causing it the nixon era was one of them. your sthothoughts as you watche this front row, number of men of

power, men who embody the presidency and al gore, who aspired to the presidency and the absence of one leader in that -- on that front row the current president of the united states, your shots? >> well to me, john mccain represents character and values and civil discourse in a bipartisan world that we have seemingly lost and that i hope this reminder in this very touching parade of wonderful speakers eulogizeing him will remind us, we could have back again. john mccain, i'm in telluride ride n now for movie about watergate, john mccain is one of the people in the movie. his humor and decency are certainly portrayed there as they were in all of the comments made about him today. i really just hope the process that watergate allowed to go

forward can go forward in a bipartisan civil way that would honor john mccain's memory. >> as we finish today, can we just show this moment when the song "danny boy" was played? because it is important to remember. this is a loss for the nation. it's a loss of an era of politics. it's so painful for all of us. but this is really a loss for a family, for cindy mccain, for megan mccain, who has been so open in the loss of her dad, the children, jack mccain and the large family that encompassed two marriages, five children. this is their loss, it's deeply personal for the pittsburgh cane family and watch cindy mccain put her head on her son's shoulder when that song was played, it was heart breaking. we have to understand how sad we are, this is a loss for the mccain family first and foremost. kareem john pierre.

jason johnson, jill winebanks, thanks for staying and with us. i'll see you tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. eastern for "am joy." meanwhile, stay with us for all of the latest news.

i'm april kennedy and i'm an arborist with pg&e in the sierras. since the onset of the drought, more than 129 million trees have died in california. pg&e prunes and removes over a million trees every year to ensure that hazardous trees can't impact power lines. and since the onset of the drought we've doubled our efforts. i grew up in the forests out in this area and honestly

it's heartbreaking to see all these trees dying. what guides me is ensuring that the public is going to be safer and that these forests can be sustained and enjoyed by the community in the future.